House approves bill that gives Legislature access to Executive Branch’s financial info

The House of Representatives passed Thursday a bill that gives the Legislature access to the Executive Branch’s financial information for budgeting, appropriation, and expenditure oversight.

House members adopted during a session the Ways and Means Committee’s report that recommends the passage of House Bill 23-49. All 19 House members present later voted “yes” to pass the legislation. Rep. Patrick H. San Nicolas (R-Tinian) was absent but excused from the session.

Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) introduced the legislation last May 10. The bill was subsequently referred to the Ways and Means Committee and the Special Committee on Federal Assistance and Disaster-Related Funding, both chaired by Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan).

According to the committee report, members of the Legislature must have access to accurate and current data or reports related to budgeting, appropriations, and expenditures in order for them to make informed financial decisions and help them evaluate different alternatives.

The committee believes it will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the annual budget process, which will ultimately lead to enhanced transparency and accountability.

Under the legislation, the governor shall provide the House speaker and Senate president for use by Legislative Bureau fiscal analysts and any other designees access to the official electronic financial and accounting application.

Such access may be limited to functions used for viewing or generating data or reports related to budgeting, appropriations, and expenditures.

In addition, members and employees of the Legislature shall participate in training in the use of the application for oversight of the budget, appropriation, and expenditures.

The committee said this legislation will ensure accountability, increase financial transparency, and help members of the Legislature evaluate different alternatives when making informed financial decisions.

Flores stated in the bill that the Legislature in the past has depended upon the timely and accurate presentation of data and reports from the Executive Branch to make predictions on revenues and spending. The Legislature has recently discovered that such information may be unreliable, Flores said.

She said the Executive Branch now uses a modern financial and accounting software application (Munis) through a contract with Tyler Technologies to maintain current data and reports on revenue and spending. Flores said that same application provides instant data and reports for all types of financial and accounting needs.

She said this bill extends transparency by providing guaranteed access to Munis, without any middleman limiting or changing the data or reports, for the Legislature in order to make accurate and timely decisions related to budgeting, appropriations, and expenditures.

Rep. Marissa Flores (Ind-Saipan) is a member of the CNMI House of Representatives of the 23rd Legislature.